CHIEF CHARLES OGBONNA AS OUR MODERN DAY JERKYL AND HYDE PERSONALITY.
Nothing personifies the controversy surrounding the sinister diatribe of Chief Charles Ogbonna, the ‘evuluogu ibeku’ and the evil genius of ‘ibeku egwu asaa’ against the governor than the fictional horror satire of a fictional double personality known on the one side as Dr. Jerkyl and on the other side as Mr. Hyde.
Dr. Jerkyll, a fine gentleman, was known to use magic to transform to a sinister evil personality known as Mr. Hyde. It describes a personality that oscillates between good and evil. While It also will be used to describe a person who is known to blow hot and cold at the same time.
The ‘evuluogu ibeku’ is one man that blows hot and cold with much relish and very shamelessly too. His evil side in the double personality profile often manifests much more easily than the fairy side. The ‘evuluogu ibeku’ is a very sinister personality whose entire characterization is steeped in greed and insatiability. In a nutshell, the man known as evuluogu ibeku, Chief Charles Ogbonna can only thrive when ethnic swags are stirred so he can have the opportunity to scam the gullible by taking you through the no-man’s-land of spiritual blackmail of deities, customs and traditions.
As the chief thug of OUK and the mamacracy Political era in Abia State, he was known to be the chief enforcer of Okija shrine oath swearing by public officials and those being held for loyalty.
As the MC Oluomo of Abia politics for most of the dark years from 1999 to 2019, he enjoyed plum and choice positions in the state cabinet: Special Adviser, Senior Special Assistant, Commissioner, Deputy Chief-of-Staff etcetera. He singlehandedly sponsored and introduced Victor Okezie Ikpeazu to become the governor after Theodore Ahamefula Orji and was the kingmaker of governor for 8 years. This was huge for a man whose only background was a trained abbatior butcher with little or no education.
When the time to nominate a replacement for Ikpeazu that was his servant for most of the 8 years came, he was taught one of the bitterest lessons of politics 101, that his interest as the kingmaker can never supersede that of the king and one of the best lessons of Nikolo Machiaveli in Robert Greene’s 48 laws of power.
Another bitter lesson that Charles Ogbonna learned from his anointed King, Ikpeazu, was that giving a monkey a banana was easy, but taking it back amounts to a battle royal. This was the crux of the matter that led Evuluogu to pour libation against Ngwa takeover from Ikpeazu. He pretended to love Dr. Alex Otti instead of allowing the candidate of Ikpeazu to outshine him.
He wanted badly to gain the control he lost through Ikpeazu by lining up with Otti in 2022/2023 elections. Dr. Alex Otti, knowing who he is and what he represents, refused to pander to his sentiments and treated him with long spoons. Even the state owned farm estates he illegally acquired for himself and his family were not spared by Dr. Alex Otti who insisted that all farm estates belonging to the state must count for the people of Abia.
The revocation of those farm settlements, which included the one he illegally possessed, triggered the disquiet between them, leading to his latest blackmailing of Dr. Alex Otti against his Ngwa people. This is classic Jerkyll and Hyde saga born out of revenge against the governor.
Telling us that the governor had told him his Ngwa people are brainless is inconsequential when Ngwa nationalities worldwide had already endorsed and blessed the governor as their beloved son in whom they’re well pleased, so of what political value are his rants?
A reasonable question to ask Evuluogu now is if, indeed, Dr. Alex Otti, in his innermost sanctum, decides to rant against his people, ‘ogbasara evuluogu’. It is between the governor and his people to agree and disagree and later settle among themselves.
It is clear that these sinister new templates by Evuluogu are a campaign gimmick to test the waters of murkyness against the governor in this election season. This type of politically motivated message from evuluogu ibeku represents the baby that must be thrown away with the birth water.
Evuluogu, after 20 years of courting power, is not expected to stir controversy around the corridors of power. If he’s able to escape prison from the swampy and slippery waters of corruption and debauchery, which he played eminent roles, why should he make himself a subject matter of discussion?
Maybe it’s better to dust his corruption file and start his prosecution at the nearest anti graft agency. He should not mistake the amiability of the governor as weakness and want to bully his way like before. At over 70 years, his time in the corridors of power has been spent. His latest gragara will not help his case.
His mobilizing against the governor at this election season is also too late in coming. My advice to Evuluogu Ibeku now is to retire from active politics to give him time to attend to his cultural duties at the shrine of ibeku egwu asaa. Abia state has managed to escape their strangle and chokehold.
Dr. Engr Odo Ijere
Okpotemba Ohafia.
